True Love's Call
by Elizabeth White
Summary: AU;The night of the school festival marked more change in the lives of Miyuki and Izumiko than they realized; while Izumiko struggles with all the unwanted attention she's getting at the Academy going into their 2nd year, a much larger conflict hovers over the teens. But how can you reconcile matters of the heart with humanity in the balance?
1. The Declaration

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

Izumiko Suzahara blinked as the sun streaming through her room at the Tamakura shrine caressed her face with its' warm touch. Izumiko stretched, much like a feline, as she shifted herself so as to place her feet on the floor.

Much had changed over the course of her life, especially since she'd joined Hojo Academy. Ever since she had gotten back from her first year there, the revelations of her true connection to the Hime-gami and of Miyuki's adamant desire to help her carry the burden had been cycling through her mind. Despite the young monk's deep desire to protect her, Izumiko couldn't help feeling apprehension at how the events of the school festival would affect her second year at Hojo Academy.

While Izumiko contemplated this conundrum, Miyuki was at the archery range doing some thinking of his own. However, much like the arrows that kept missing the center of the target, Miyuki couldn't pinpoint what was bothering him so much.

"Ah, the page boy." Stiffening at the sound of his arrogant father's voice, Miyuki turned to face the man with a scowl.

"What do you want?" Yukimasa Sagara, not having expected his son to be so tense, responded with actual concern in his voice:

"Is something wrong?" Miyuki scoffed at the tone in his father's voice; since when had Yukimasa ever cared about his own son? Yukimasa sighed before saying:

"I know I'm hard on you Miyuki but please, try to understand my position. Humanity's fate rests in how you interact with Suzahara." Miyuki stiffened as his father had unknowingly brought up what had been bothering him since the school festival.

"In case you didn't notice, the way I interact with her isn't the problem." Yukimasa, intrigued by what his son was saying, stayed quiet as Miyuki continued:

"Every damn person she comes in contact with wants something from her. Whether it's her spiritual perception or simply her presence, every person and being Suzahara comes in contact with wants to use her for their own gain." Yukimasa was stunned to see Miyuki turn an angry, no, furious gaze upon him as he continued his speech, saying:

"What I find most interesting in this whole equation is that no one ever considers what _she_ wants. And don't you dare deny it!" Miyuki shouted out as the rage he felt over the pattern he had seen over and over again burst forth; "You're all so damn selfish! If she's so important to you, shouldn't what she _truly_ wants be more important than her power?! She's not some toy for you to prostrate yourself to one moment and then manipulate behind her back the next!" Suddenly, Yukimasa burst out laughing, stopping Miyuki's rage as confusion set in. Miyuki's rage threatened to return at Yukimasa's callous response when his next words struck a nerve.

"At last I can see why the Hime-gami chose you. I just can't believe we didn't realize it before." Miyuki was about to ask what Yukimasa meant but he simply smirked and said:

"I'm sorry son; the answer is something you must discover for yourself. Even if I were to tell you now, you would not be willing to believe me unless you had already come to terms with the truth yourself." Miyuki's earlier irritation returned as he asked:

"What truth?" Yukimasa's smug remark did nothing to alleviate his confusion as he said:

"When you can answer that, you'll understand why you want to shelter her as well as help her attain what she wants."


	2. The River Playground

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

After that day at the archery range, the weeks flew by in relative peace. Miyuki continued to practice his archery as well as continue his training in the use of his staff. As he'd proven during the school festival last year, he had a talent for staff techniques that was above and beyond most mountain monks his age. The summer went by in this manner until August, the hottest month of the year, was upon them.

It was an incredibly hot day at the Tamakura shrine when Izumiko's grandfather suggested that they spend the day bathing in the river. Miyuki and Izumiko, excited at the thought of cooling off in the river's clear waters, did not remember that they would have to wear swimsuits in front of each other.

Both children raced to their rooms to change for the day of swimming. Miyuki pulled out his swimming trunks and sandals, along with some sunscreen and a big, fluffy beach towel. As he rushed to change, Izumiko pulled out her own bathing items in her room. As both children followed different paths through the forest to reach the river, Yukimasa and Daisei smiled from afar at how Yukariko's father had cleverly set the trap for their children.

"Do you think Miyuki will ever realize how Izumiko feels about him?" Daisei chuckled at his old friend's sarcastic comment.

"Well, old friend, we can't start planning the wedding yet. I think Miyuki will probably have to reconcile his own feelings before Izumiko feels comfortable enough to confess her own." Yukimasa couldn't help but nod in agreement. Both men were not blind to the happenings in their children's lives; absence did not automatically mean they were clueless.

Both men received weekly reports on the progress of their children from Hojo Academy. These reports, while more frequent than most students, were deemed necessary due to the delicate nature of Izumiko's power. Over the course of these reports, the principal had unknowingly mentioned a pattern that you'd have to be a parent to notice; Izumiko's growth in confidence was directly linked to Miyuki's encouragement and protection. This pattern, coupled with Izumiko's willingness to return due to Miyuki's actions and Miyuki's battle to reach her despite the danger he'd had to endure, spoke volumes on the nature of their relationship. Yukimasa, remembering when he'd assigned Miyuki with Izumiko's protection in the first place, couldn't help bursting out in laughter at the sheer irony of the situation.

"What's so funny Yukimasa?" After settling down, Yukimasa answered Daisei's question.

"It's just the sheer irony of the situation." A smirk settled on the elder Sagara's face as he explained how Miyuki had insisted that he would never be Izumiko's servant. Daisei, listening to the story, saw an obvious flaw in his friend's logic.

"Yukimasa; if you think about it, Miyuki _isn't_ Izumiko's servant. She chose him as her arbiter; this means that he outranks everyone around her except for the Hime-gami." Yukimasa's gaze turned serious as the message sunk in; as far as Izumiko was concerned, Miyuki was her equal, not her servant.

While their fathers continued discussing their first year at Hojo Academy, Miyuki arrived at the river first due to his path to the river being the more direct one. After checking that no one was around, Miyuki stripped off his undershirt, leaving him in just his swimming trunks. As he'd already rubbed on some sunscreen before coming to the river, Miyuki raced to the rope swing he'd used as a kid while spending his summers at the shrine. Once he was standing on the lower tree limb, the rope in his hand, Miyuki gave a shout of pure joy before launching himself into the air and entering the water with a giant SPLASH!

It was at that particular moment that Izumiko arrived at the river. As Miyuki kicked himself up to the surface, his face landed on Izumiko in an incredibly cute one-piece suit. As she stood outside the river, the sunlight cast a soft light through the trees on her. Miyuki's face flamed up at the heavenly beauty gracing his presence.

"Sagara? Why are you here?" Miyuki, shaking himself out his beauty induced stupor, responded in a slightly flustered tone.

"Judging by how you're dressed, the same reason as you. I decided to take your grandfather's advice and swim in the river." Izumiko gently smiled at the coincidence.

"Can I join you?" Miyuki, having gotten to a more shallow part of the river, shrugged at her request.

Now it was Izumiko's turn to become flustered as Miyuki's developing chest was put on display in front of her. While Miyuki's body was obviously still growing, it was clear that he was becoming a man whose looks would rival, if not surpass, his own father. The muscles on his arms were toned, a testament to his archery lessons with Nonomura. In addition to his toned arms, his chest was trim and he had the hint of a six pack. While Miyuki may not care for the attention, it was obvious that any girl would love to be his girlfriend.

Izumiko suddenly remembered why she came to the river in the first place as the sun's heat intensified on her. Izumiko strengthened her resolve as she walked into the water of the river until she was waist-deep. A gentle sigh escaped her lips as the water's gentle current rushed past her body and fingertips.

"Suzahara?" At the sound of Miyuki's voice, Izumiko turned to face her childhood friend; "Have you thought about my request at the end of the school festival?" Izumiko's face turned pensive before a satisfied look crossed her face.

"I have;" Miyuki stiffened as Izumiko approached him before bowing to him respectfully; "I would be honored to accept your help in finding another path so I can avoid becoming the Hime-gami." As Miyuki visibly relaxed, Izumiko suddenly did something incredibly unexpected; she splashed him!

"Hey! What was that for?" Izumiko, giggling at Miyuki's pouty face, stuck her tongue out before responding:

"That was for hitting me with balls when we were kids!" Shock struck Miyuki's face before the boy burst out laughing as he retaliated with a splash of his own. Before both children had realized it, they were playing and goofing off like two normal fifteen, almost sixteen year old teenagers.


	3. The Kawaguchi Incident

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

August ended far sooner than Miyuki and Izumiko would have liked. Before they'd realized it, they found themselves taking the plane ride back to Tokyo, and from there, the bullet train ride to the outskirts of Hojo Academy's grounds.

Much like last year, Mayura and Sagara were in separate classrooms from their partners. Mayura found herself in class 2-B while Sagara was in class 2-A. This left Izumiko and Manatsu together in class 2-D; unfortunately, this set-up created problems for Izumiko.

Izumiko, not for the first time, wished she and Miyuki were in the same classes while walking with Manatsu to meet Mayura and Sagara at the library. Ever since the school festival last year, it was like a light switch had flipped on for all the boys on campus. She had even heard rumors that she was considered the most desirable girl to date on campus.

Every homeroom, there would be a large group of boys standing around her desk with gifts, poems, etc.; all asking to be her boyfriend. It had gotten to the point where Mayura had needed to come into her class and make it clear that their continuous requests for courtship were bordering on harassment and that she would report them if they didn't leave her alone.

While that had stopped the boys during homeroom, it had not stopped their attempts in the hallways. Despite Mayura's threats, it was obvious that it was not as easy to place blame in such a public place as the hallway. If Mayura reported their stalker-like badgering, the boys could counter by saying that they had merely been passing by; after all, the hallway was used by everyone, right?

This went on for three weeks until one day during late September, a boy made a mistake. Izumiko was studying with Mayura, Manatsu and Sagara in the library when she excused herself to go to the bathroom. A third year, Hayate Kawaguchi, noticed Suzahara heading to the restroom. Hayate, seeing this as a golden opportunity, positioned himself in such a manner that he would be the first to see her leave the restroom.

When the timid girl came out, Hayate cornered her before she could get back to her friends. Now, while she had become better at expressing her thoughts and feelings, there were still times when the situation overwhelmed her. Unfortunately for Izumiko, dealing with boys was one of those times.

"Good day Suzahara." Izumiko, while still freaked out, responded to the upperclassmen:

"G-g-good day Kawaguchi. Can I help you with something?" Hayate inwardly smirked at how innocent Suzahara was; did the girl not realize what his intentions were?

"Well Suzahara; you could help me by doing me the honor of being my girlfriend?" Izumiko's eyes widened as fear settled into the pit of her stomach. Unlike the other boys that had asked to date her, Kawaguchi was older than her. She could tell that Kawaguchi would not be happy if she said no.

"I'm flattered that you want to date me but I don't w-w-want to be your girlfriend." Kawaguchi, just as Izumiko had expected, was less than thrilled about her rejection. In his outrage, he gripped her arm and gave a painful squeeze.

"How Dare You?! Do you know how many girls would be _honored_ to be in your position?!" A pained cry escaped her lips as Kawaguchi unconsciously tightened his grip. "Answer me, you mouse!" Suddenly, a shadow materialized behind the senior before a hand appeared and karate chopped him on the side of his head, knocking him unconscious. Izumiko looked up before relief flooded her body at the site of Miyuki's angry look drilling into Kawaguchi.

The stress was too much for her. Tears streamed down her face as Izumiko began to sob. Suddenly, much like the incident in the alternate plane, Miyuki knelt down and gently pulled her into his chest, allowing her to seek comfort from his presence.

It was at this moment that Mayura and Manatsu came back with both Yukimasa and Honoka. Upon seeing the scene, Honoka was not pleased.

"Could someone please explain to me why one of my council members is sobbing and a student has been knocked out?" A first year boy, who'd witnessed the whole thing, started to explain how Suzahara had been cornered by upperclassmen Kawaguchi and asked to be his girlfriend. When she'd refused, Kawaguchi started to hurt her by gripping her arm sharply. Suddenly, Miyuki interrupted, saying:

"I had been coming to see what had happened to Suzahara because she was taking too long to go to the bathroom, even for a girl; that was when I knocked Kawaguchi out. I wouldn't be surprised if the arrogant bastard bruised her arm!" Yukimara, while his first instinct was to scold his son for allowing this to happen, realized that Miyuki had taken the right steps to protect Izumiko. He'd neutralized the threat quickly and stayed with Izumiko to make sure she was alright. In addition to this, Miyuki had asked the siblings to get him and Honoka in case the situation required disciplinary action. _Well, what do you know? Miyuki is becoming a man before my very eyes. After all; it takes a true man to know not only when and how to act in the face of a crisis but when to call for help. Especially with how much he hates asking me for help._

"Miyuki;" Yukimara said as his son turned to face him, "why don't you follow me to the nurse's office with Suzahara? I know she may not be up to it but I need to examine her so Kawaguchi's punishment can be handled appropriately." Miyuki nodded as he gently stood, despite Izumiko's tight grip on his sleeves.


	4. Becoming a Man

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

The walk to the infirmary was quiet, with only Izumiko's stifled sobs piercing the tense group environment. Miyuki, whose chest Izumiko was sobbing into, glared at the crowd's curious gazes, as if daring them to bother the distraught girl seeking comfort in his arms.

Behind the Sagara men and Izumiko followed Mayura and Manatsu, who'd refused to leave Izumiko's side. It would have turned into an argument if Miyuki hadn't intervened, saying that the siblings were their roommates and that they could help Izumiko calm down.

While Yukimasa examined Izumiko, Mayura talked to the frightened princess about the book report they had been assigned for literature. Thanks to her roommate's distraction, Izumiko's focus was not centered on the exam, thus allowing her to calm down. Once it was clear to the Souda siblings that they were no longer needed, they left the infirmary to finish up their assignments in their respective dorm room.

Yukimasa sighed as Izumiko was finally getting some much needed rest after the Kawaguchi incident. The mountain monk couldn't help the proud look on his face as Miyuki held the girl's hand and rubbed his thumb unconsciously over the top of it, obviously in an attempt to assure the frightened girl that he was still there.

While he left the unofficial couple alone, he turned his angry gaze to the medical report he'd filled out on Suzahara. As much as he wished the purple bruise was the only thing that had harmed Izumiko that simply was not the case. While Yukimasa had been examining her, he had noted signs of slight psychological trauma; based on the message Miyuki had Mayura pass along to him about his concerns with the overt attention the male population was giving her, it was obvious what source had wrought this.

"Miyuki," stated Yukimasa as his son turned a neutral gaze on his old man, "I just wanted to say that I'm proud of how you handled this situation." Surprise flitted across Miyuki's face; before suspicion could set in, Yukimasa continued:

"I really mean it. In the past, I would have expected you to handle the situation on your own and bring Suzahara to the clinic after the fact. Instead, you took steps to not only neutralize the threat as quickly as possible but to bring it to the attention of the adults so we could take the appropriate steps in resolving the matter." Miyuki's gaze remained neutral as he gazed at his father. As Miyuki turned to face Izumiko however, his gaze morphed into one of worry and . . . guilt?

"If I did the right thing . . . then why do I feel so guilty?" Yukimara listened with interest as his son spoke on the matter.

"This has been going on since the start of the year." Miyuki's jaw clenched as he recalled times he, Souda, and Manatsu had needed to scare off overly zealous admirers from Izumiko; "It had even gotten to the point where Mayura threatened the boys with reports of harassment if they continued to bother Izumiko in homeroom. But the only thing that accomplished was their strategy shifting from homeroom to the hallways between classes." Before Yukimasa could cut his son off to scold him, he noticed tears gathering at the corners of his eyes and streaming down his face unnoticed.

"How could I have let them do this to her?!" Much like before in the library, Yukimasa resisted his first instinct to scold Miyuki. It was obvious that any lectures he wanted to give the boy would pale in comparison to the guilt weighing down on him.

"We all make mistakes son." Miyuki closed his eyes, as if suddenly realizing just _who_ he was crying in front of; internally, Yukimasa sighed. He knew that he and Miyuki were a lot more alike than even he was willing to admit. Both were the type of people that are willing to admit their limits and shortcomings; yet deep down, both men were proud and despised failure. It was probably for this reason that both father and son had such a hard time connecting. Yukimasa always told his son how much of a failure he felt he was when all Miyuki desired was his father's approval.

"But, the important thing to do when these things happen is to learn from them and make an effort to do better next time." Yukimasa stood up, pulled his office chair toward his crying son and sat down while he held him. After mentally chanting a healing mantra to bring some peace to his little boy . . . no, young man, his thoughts turned to the extraordinary changes occurring in his son. _To think . . . all that was needed for him to grow up was for him to fall in love with Izumiko_.


	5. Expulsion

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

While Izumiko was resting in the infirmary, Honoka had not been idle. She'd immediately gotten in contact with the principal about the incident, making it a point to mention that the victim was Suzahara. Principal Murakami, not surprisingly, was infuriated at such a blatant disregard toward school policy and immediately called a meeting with all the involved parties while the other part-time school nurse watched over Izumiko.

Kawaguchi, Miyuki, Mayura, Manatsu, the first year boy, whose name was Isamu Fukui, Honoka, Yukimasa and Daisei were all in the Principal's office with Principal Murakami. If Miyuki were to be honest, he wasn't entirely surprised; he had thought from the beginning that it was a huge coincidence that his father had found out about the Hime-gami choosing him as her arbiter. Kawaguchi gulped at the severe frown painted on the principal's face.

"Young man;" intoned the principal in a tone that only a professor could have achieved as he turned to face Kawaguchi, "do you know _why_ Hojo Academy has a strict no harassment policy?" Before Kawaguchi could respond, Hodaka answered for him; "It is for the protection of _all_ our students, no matter their specialty." Hodaka's frown evolved into an angry glare as he stood:

"As I'm sure all students are aware, we deal with the supernatural every day. However, what students are _not_ privy to is the reason why a student is allowed into the school; in other words, what their connection to the supernatural _is_." Hodaka's face, if possible, became even more filled with rage as he scolded Kawaguchi, saying:

"Not only did you harass a student, which is enough for me to suspend you from Hojo Academy, you physically harmed Suzahara to the point of bruising her arm!" Kawaguchi flinched at Hodaka's rage; he hadn't realized he'd actually been hurting her.

"If Sagara hadn't intervened when he had, I shudder to think of what could have happened!" Kawaguchi's fear was suddenly replaced with curiosity; why was Suzahara so special? Miyuki, recognizing that look on Kawaguchi's face, interrupted the principal to make sure Kawaguchi didn't get any ideas about manipulating Izumiko.

"I'd recognize that look anywhere." Startled looks shifted to Miyuki as if he was an alien standing in their midst. After crossing the room in two long strides, Miyuki grabbed Kawaguchi's uniform by the collar and pulled the third year till he was face to face with his _infuriated_ gaze.

"Listen carefully because if I have to repeat myself I'll hit first and ask questions later. _Leave Suzahara alone!_ Isn't it enough that you made her cry?! She doesn't need bruises from a bastard who doesn't know how to take a hint!" Once Miyuki saw the threat register in the moron's brain, he shoved the guy while releasing him from the death grip on his collar. Hodaka, shaking himself out of his stupor, cleared his throat before saying:

"While Sagara may have been a bit . . . forceful in his delivery, that doesn't mean he's not right." Hodaka's serious face did little to alleviate Kawaguchi's nerves; "Violence is most definitely not tolerated at Hojo Academy. And while I would like to give you the benefit of the doubt, the evidence provided by both our school nurse's report and these eye witnesses leaves me no choice." Kawaguchi's face paled as Hodaka stood up.

"Hayate Kawaguchi; you are hereby expelled from Hojo Academy."


	6. Repercussions

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

News of Kawaguchi's expulsion spread through the school like wildfire. Incidentally, news of Miyuki's threat before the upperclassmen had been expelled spread like the plague among all the grades. Along with the news came the rumors; had Sagara been turning down other girls because his heart belonged to Suzahara? Unfortunately for both Izumiko and Miyuki, the repercussions were speeding toward them in the form of a dreaded entity for any teenage boy or girl . . . fan clubs.

In the second week of October, Miyuki and Izumiko, along with their respective roommates, were studying outside to enjoy the weather before the bitter bite of winter forced them to study in the library. As Mayura and Miyuki were helping their respective roommates with their homework troubles, three first year girls materialized beside the group on Miyuki's side of the picnic table.

"Is it true?" Miyuki, confused about what these three strangers were inquiring about, asked:

"What are you talking about?" The previous speaker, and obviously the leader, tensed up before blurting out in a loud voice:

"Is it true that you're in love with Suzahara?!" The first year girl's bold question caused the unflappable Sagara to choke on air from sheer shock and incredulity. After Miyuki finally caught his breath, he faced the girls to respond, not noticing how the courtyard had quieted down to hear his answer.

"If you have the time to ask such personal questions of second year boys, don't you think it could be better used?" The girls' faces turned to astonishment as Sagara continued his lecture; "Add to that the fact that you don't even have the decency to make sure it was asked in private and I'd have to say that you three are sticking your noses into affairs that are none of your business." The girls shrunk back as Sagara stood, obviously angry at their boldness; "If you're going to be so rude to me and my friends, then leave;" When Miyuki saw that the girls weren't leaving, he yelled; "Now!" Finally getting the hint that they weren't welcome, the girls scurried away.

"Miyuki;" asked Izumiko; "did you have to scare them away?" For reasons known only between Miyuki and Izumiko, they'd dropped their first year habit of referring to each other by surnames and started calling each other by their first names like they had as children. Coincidentally, this shift occurred after the Kawaguchi incident.

"Izumiko;" Mayura interceded; "I know Sagara may have come off as harsh but he needed to handle the situation the way he had. If he had been even a little lenient toward those fan girls, it would have encouraged others to attempt the same." Izumiko nodded before interpreting what Mayura had meant to communicate to her.

"So what you're saying is that he was sending a message to other potential fans that their questions are not welcome." Mayura nodded before adding:

"As much as I wish it wasn't true, I know where Sagara is coming from. Before I'd disbanded the MSF, there were times where the guys in the club would bug me about things that were absolutely none of their business." Manatsu nodded in agreement with his sister; he'd lost track of how many times he'd been asked about his sister's personality from 'potential suitors.'

"While I wish I could say Shinko is the only one with this problem, he and I have noticed another similar, and disturbing, trend occurring among the boys in the Academy." Manatsu turned to face Izumiko as he explained:

"While he and I agree that it will take a while for the students to forget the whole Kawaguchi incident," Miyuki couldn't help noticing how Izumiko tensed at the mention of the bastard, "the problem will be when the boys feel brave enough, or should I say, stupid enough to go after Suzahara again." Miyuki, not surprisingly, instantly noticed Izumiko begin to tremble violently at the mere thought of the harassment beginning again. _Damn! She's almost as freaked out as that time in Tokyo!_ Before Manatsu could continue his tirade, Miyuki shoved his elbow into the Souda brother's side sharply.

"Hey! What was _that_ for?" Miyuki shook his head before nodding his head in Izumiko's direction. Both siblings, having never really seen how fear affected Izumiko before, were shocked at the severity of her reaction. Miyuki, on the other hand, quickly saw the signs; Izumiko was on the verge of a panic attack!

"Izumiko!" Miyuki rushed to her side as Izumiko began to gasp sharply, obviously trapped in the sheer terror of the traumatic experience. "Crap! Souda!" Mayura ran to join Miyuki as poor Izumiko began to hyperventilate; "As much as I'd like to help her, the fact that I'm a guy doesn't make me the best choice right now! Can you try to calm her down while I call my dad?" Mayura nodded, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes from the fear of Izumiko's panic attack. Suddenly, a third year girl ran to join the group.

"Can I help? My little brother used to have panic attacks all the time so I know how to deal with them." Nodding in appreciation, Miyuki left the mysterious third year with Mayura while he called his father's cell.


	7. Doesn't Deserve This

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

Whoever the third year girl was, her help was much appreciated. While she'd not been able to completely stop the panic attack, her guidance had helped keep the situation from escalating. In a gentle, calm voice, the upperclassmen instructed Izumiko through some deep breathing techniques, thus keeping the girl from blacking out, or worse, losing her ability to breath at all.

Miyuki sighed in relief as he heard the ambulance his father had said was on its' way stop close-by. He was pleased to note that their sirens were not on and that the paramedics were all female. As the paramedics rushed to Izumiko to further regulate her breathing and calm her down, Yukimasa rushed over and stood beside his son.

"As much as I'd like to be angry at you for this, I know that will get us nowhere." Yukimasa, noticing his son wasn't even looking at him, followed his pained gaze till it rested on Izumiko.

"You don't have to lecture me; I already hate myself for letting her suffer like this." Yukimasa blinked in shock; was this young man his son?

"She doesn't deserve this pain. She's already suffered enough." Yukimasa's interest spiked; what did his son mean?

"It happened last year before the school festival; the Hime-gami explained to me some of her past." Miyuki's fist unconsciously tightened as he continued; "She'd been captured and brutally murdered; chopped up like some slab of meat." Miyuki turned and pinned his father under his stony gaze.

"She's always been terrified of what people thought of her." As his son shifted his gaze back to Izumiko, he intoned; "Then again, if I'd been threatened like she'd been, I doubt I wouldn't have some trauma about the incident." Before Yukimasa could interrupt his son, one of the paramedics came back, saying that Izumiko was asking for someone named Miyuki. Before Yukimasa could even answer the woman's question, his son was already sprinting toward the now much calmer girl. As the father watched his son interact with Izumiko, he noticed how his son's face became less tense and, dare he say, happy? The truly interesting thing was that Izumiko's face went through the same transformation.

"Young love is so sweet;" sighed the paramedic standing beside the elder Sagara. Internally, Yukimasa couldn't help but agree. _The Hime-gami indeed chose Miyuki wisely; my son loves her vessel dearly_.


	8. Prepare a Solution

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

As she was recovering in the school's infirmary, Izumiko felt the stress leave her as Miyuki held onto her hand, assuring her of his support through the physical contact. While Izumiko didn't want to admit it, she always felt protected when she was around Miyuki. _Why is it so hard for me to talk to him about how I feel about him? I know I love him, but for some reason, I can never tell him._

"Miyuki?" The aforementioned boy lifted his gaze to look Izumiko in the eye, "You can't blame yourself for this." Before the monk in training could protest her request, Izumiko continued her explanation.

"I know you want to protect me but that doesn't mean that you are able to all the time." As Izumiko caught Miyuki's gaze, he found himself trapped by her gentle eyes, "On top of that, you have no control over the actions of others. Besides;" Izumiko shut her eyes as a gentle smile came to her porcelain like face; "you _have_ been protecting me." As her intense gaze locked onto his face once again, Izumiko plowed forward, determined to finish her lecture.

"I know you want to prevent these things from happening . . . but you can't be everywhere at once." As the words registered in Miyuki's mind, a sudden bolt of inspiration struck him.

"You're right; I _can't_ be everywhere at once." A mischievous grin overcame his face at the _potential_ of his crazy idea.

Miyuki called out to Yukimasa. After some heated whispering between father and son, Yukimasa relented; however, he said the ultimate choice would be Izumiko's in the matter.

"Izumiko;" The aforementioned girl turned her attention to the elder Sagara, "Miyuki has a potential solution to this problem." Hope dusted Izumiko's face like a fine blush as she waited to hear the solution from the young monk.

"I had the idea when you mentioned that I can't be everywhere at once." Miyuki's stone face remained intact as he continued:

"Of course you're right; no person can be everywhere at once. That's why I think we need to enlist the help of other students to keep you safe." Izumiko's eyes widened at Miyuki's bold idea. Was this really necessary?

"I know you don't want special treatment Izumiko. But this isn't about the Hime-gami; this is about you." Miyuki's face scrunched up a bit from his frustration, "You can't keep feeling such intense pressure while attending Hojo Academy. Its' only October and you've already had a panic attack. This is not only dangerous for your health, but the way these boys are acting toward you is completely illegal, regardless of who you are." Izumiko nodded, understanding that Miyuki wasn't angry at her; he was angry at how the boys in the school had been acting toward her.

"I trust your judgement Miyuki." Yukimasa's eyes widened at Izumiko's statement; _does she have any idea what she's saying! She just placed Miyuki in a place of authority over even me!_

"Yukimasa;" Izumiko's call caused the elder Sagara to turn to her, "please don't think that my trust in Miyuki means that I don't trust your judgement as well. While I do hold Miyuki's opinion above yours, that doesn't mean I don't value your experience." She captured that gaze of both monks before expounding on her instructions.

"I would like both of you, along with Mayura and Manatsu, to choose students that are trustworthy, of good character, and are interested in protecting me as Izumiko, not as the Hime-gami." The princess' gaze shifted to Yukimasa as she finished giving her instructions.

"Your task is two-fold Yukimasa. Not only do I want you to assist Miyuki in screening students, but teachers as well." Izumiko hardened her gaze as she gave her final direction to Yukimasa.

"I want to be perfectly clear that Miyuki's word in these screenings is final. While I expect him to listen to your recommendations, I will only allow students that Miyuki has approved of." Before Yukimasa could protest at giving such a task to a novice monk, Izumiko cut him off.

"I do not want to hear your protests! If it weren't for Miyuki, I would still be in an alternate plane with Masumi! I'm tired of how everyone claims to want what's best for me but what they're really after is my power!" Fury entered Izumiko's eyes as she finally expressed how she felt about everyone manipulating her; "Do you know why I choose Miyuki in the first place?" The fury began to calm as recollection entered her eyes; "When we went to Tokyo to see mother, Miyuki choose to comfort me when I was scared. On top of that, he shielded me from the evil spirit, even though at the time he wasn't far enough along in his training to perform an exorcism." Izumiko's now gentle eyes turned to face the young monk in gratitude.

"He did all this . . . before he even knew who or what I was, Miyuki wanted to protect me. He showed me compassion, even when he'd made it clear that he did not see me as anything special and that he hated people like me." Izumiko's gaze hardened into an angry look as she turned to face Yukimasa once again.

"It is because of this, and other times when Miyuki acted with _my_ best interests in mind, that I trust him above all others. If you can't accept that, then you are not worthy of serving me." Yukimasa, thoroughly scolded, bowed his head in both apology and submission to Izumiko's reprimand.


	9. The Screeners

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

After Izumiko's wishes were made known to Mayura and Manatsu, the siblings were more than willing to help Izumiko in the matter. While the siblings may not be as close to Suzahara as Sagara was, they were still her friends. They were also sick and tired of the situation and just wanted her suffering to end. Masumi, in particular, was disgusted at the abuse toward a girl he'd come to consider like another sister.

Miyuki, wanting to protect Izumiko until the screenings were completed, suggested that Izumiko be privately tutored instead of going to her classes. When Mayura saw that her roommate was going to protest, she offered to be tutored alongside Izumiko so she wouldn't feel completely isolated. Izumiko agreed upon hearing Mayura's offer; not only would she have some company until the situation could be resolved, but Mayura was also the perfect protector, beside Miyuki of course.

Miyuki, confident that Izumiko was protected for the time being, began to strategize how to better protect her. Through Yukimasa, Miyuki gained access to the rosters of all of Izumiko's classes for her second year. At first glimpse, Miyuki saw the reason this problem had gotten so out of hand.

"What the hell were the faculty members thinking when they made up this schedule?" Principal Murakami, who had been invited to the screenings so he knew which students to question in a situation involving Suzahara, asked for clarification.

"What on earth do you mean?" Miyuki's angry gaze shifted to Hodaka as he clarified his earlier outrage.

"Did you even notice that in the majority of her classes, Manatsu, Mayura and I are not listed in the roster?" Hodaka flinched before trying to justify the faculty's decisions on Suzahara's scheduling.

"Our system randomizes our student's schedules; it is purely by chance that Suzahara's schedule turned out the way it did." Miyuki's face twisted at the B.S. the principal had just tried to feed him.

"Are the faculty members illiterate?" Hodaka's placating expression shifted to one of outrage as he answered:

"Of course not!" After giving the answer Miyuki had expected, his cutting response quickly extinguished any protests he could have brought up.

"Forgive me for doubting the faculty's capabilities; I just couldn't believe that a group of high school educators weren't capable of reading a second year's schedule before the start of the school year!" Hodaka, having been properly scolded, nodded his head in acceptance of their mishandling of the situation. Miyuki, after noting the taciturn apology, shifted his attention to the rest of the screeners: Manatsu, Mayura, Yukimasa and Honoka, whom had been added at Miyuki's request.

"While I would love to re-hash over the mistakes that have been made by _all_ of us, these screenings are not about shifting blame; they are about strategizing and implementing the solution. However;" Miyuki paused as he made sure everyone was paying attention, "if we don't fully recognize our past mistakes, we can't learn from them. Isn't that right Dad?" Yukimasa, stunned that Miyuki had remembered his lesson at the end of September, gave his son a proud smile while nodding in agreement. _My boy is truly becoming a man; one that I am proud to call my son._

"With that being said, this part of the screening will be dedicated to putting into words the possible reasons for this situation getting so out of hand." Miyuki turned to face the white board behind him as he wrote down the first reason he could think of;

#1. Schedule leaves her alone most of the day.

After Miyuki had written down the first major problem, Mayura called out another problem she'd noticed, saying:

"Another problem I've seen is somewhat connected to the first one; because our schedules separate us from Izumiko, it's easy for boys to approach her between class periods without any of us around to drive them away." Miyuki nodded in agreement of Mayura's words; after a moment of thinking how to phrase her point, he turned to the board and wrote:

#2. Vulnerable between class periods with no immediate help available.

Manatsu, not surprisingly, spoke up after his sister to say: "There is another problem that I've noticed happen that would be easy to miss at first." As one of the brothers of the Souda siblings was in Suzahara's homeroom, his impression on the situation was invaluable; "While Suzahara's stalkers had stopped publically giving her presents because of Mayura's threats that did not stop them from trying. Instead of publically giving her the gifts, they would pick the lock on her shoe locker or mail-box and stuff their gifts and/or poems there." At this point, Honoka became enraged, yelling out in her fury.

"Do these boys have no shame!? They're not just breaking school policy with their actions; it is against the law to break into _anyone's_ personal mailbox!" Honoka shifted her fury to Mayura as she asked; "Please tell me you kept these letters and gifts that Suzahara received Mayura." The Souda sister nodded in the affirmative to Honoka's question.

"Izumiko had wanted to throw all the items away but I was able to convince her that we needed them as physical evidence against her stalkers." Principal Murakami interrupted, his voice a razor with the sharpness of his words, to say:

"I'm glad you had the presence of mind to hold on to those items Mayura. By comparing the handwriting on those packages to the handwriting on the assignments graded by the professors, we may be able to suspend these bullies for their criminal actions toward Suzahara." While this discussion had been going on, Miyuki had quietly written the third reason on the board:

#3. Illegally breaking into her mail box and her shoe locker to give her presents.

"Are there any other reasons that people can think of?" Miyuki's question hung in the air as the screeners tried to think of anything besides the reasons on the board. Upon noting the silence, Miyuki capped the dry erase marker and re-took his seat at the table.

"Alright then; now that we've identified the problems, its' time to come up with solutions." Mayura spoke up first at Miyuki's open invitation to offer up solutions.

"The first thing that needs to be done is to make sure Izumiko isn't alone all the time." The Souda sibling turned to face the principal as she asked; "Is it possible to switch either her or our schedules around so she has at least one of her friends with her during class?" Hodaka, placing his hand on his chin, thought for a moment before nodding slowly in agreement.

"That would be the best way to solve the first two problems;" Hodaka excused himself, saying; "If all of you will just give me a moment, I'm going to ask my secretary to print out three more schedules."


	10. The Hime-gami's Tale

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

Once Murakami returned with the schedules for Manatsu, Mayura and Miyuki, he gave Miyuki the schedules to peruse. After comparing their schedules with Izumiko's, Miyuki felt like slapping his head at the sheer lack of attention on the part of the Hojo Academy's faculty. Was it really that hard to shift his schedule to match Izumiko's own? Their schedules were the most closely matched!

However, before Miyuki could utter a single complaint, Izumiko suddenly appeared in the room wearing a kimono worn by royalty, the outer robe a deep, royal purple with pink flowers on the bottom edge. The most startling features, besides the clothing, was the light, purple shadowing around her eyes and her loose hair, giving her the appearance of a royal beauty.

"Crap;" muttered Miyuki, "Not again! I thought she couldn't be possessed by the Hime-gami anymore!" The now identified kami turned to face Miyuki before stating in a regal, commanding voice:

"As long as my vessel does not fully become me, she will always be susceptible to my possession. While Izumiko is much more stable than she was, that does not mean she has fully entered into her capabilities yet." The Hime-gami turned to face the other screeners before settling on Mayura.

"Before I state my business, I would like to personally extend my gratitude to Mayura Souda." A gentle smile graced the ancient kami's face as she explained; "Izumiko, before attending Hojo Academy, always felt isolated from other people around her. Not only did you welcome her with open arms, you gave her the feeling of belonging that she has always craved for as a child." Once her gratitude had been expressed, the Hime-gami shifted her attention to everyone in the room.

"I have come . . . because I have sensed two forces at work in the life of my vessel. One of them is to protect her; the other is to do harm to her. Both of these forces played a role in my existence in the distant past . . . before I became a vengeful spirit." The Hime-gami, noting her audiences' riveted attention, continued her tale.

"Before I became the Hime-gami, I was a simple shrine maiden at Tamakura. For those that are aware of my familiar, Wamiya, it was at this time that he and I bonded as master and servant." The Hime-gami paused, as if remembering the story of her beginning was tiring; "As I left childhood behind, my powers and connection to the beings of the mountain began to appear. However, not much was made of the discovery, for at the time it was quite common among those that served in the shrines." A look of deep sadness came upon the kami's face as she continued her tale once again.

"When I turned 17, a young monk around my age happened upon me in the forest while I was dancing; he was instantly smitten." The Hime-gami's gaze shifted till it fell upon the Sagara men; however, before her reason could be questioned, she returned her gaze to scope the audience; "He interrupted my dance. At first, I was irritated that he would spy on me so brazenly. However, my irritation dissolved as he began to praise my dancing, saying it was the most beautiful dance he'd had the pleasure of being witness to." A slight smile of fondness crept upon the kami's face as she recalled the mountain monk that had broken her shell, "We courted for a year before we were married. We had two children; a boy first and a girl second. Our son, in order to continue his father's work as a mountain monk, took his father's surname; the same was true of my daughter, as she took on my maiden name." The Hime-gami's face instantly fell as seriousness descended upon her countenance.

"These two siblings are the ancestral founders of the Sagara and Suzahara lines." Shock flickered on everyone's faces as they unconsciously glanced at the Sagara men, whose stunned faces were comically similar in appearance; "I would have spent the rest of my life as a wife and mother had tragedy not befallen our family." A neutral face with a hint of rage took over the Hime-gami's gaze as she continued the revealing tale.

"I was in the market, purchasing some wares I was lacking for our evening meal when the spoiled son of a daimyo glanced my way." The neutrality began to gradually fade as the rage became more prominent; "He was overcome with lust, desiring me for himself. He immediately went to his father, saying that he'd finally found his bride. In a week's time, the Daimyo's guards came to our town, demanding to know where they could find a particular young woman with my physical traits" The Hime-gami's face shifted to a more neutral gaze, obviously hiding a great anger; "As my beauty was quite well known among the villagers, in no time the guards came upon the temple's front doors." Great anger overcame the Hime-gami's face at the conclusion of her horrific tale, "Upon learning of my marriage, the Daimyo demanded I abandon my husband and children and marry his spoiled child; naturally, I refused such an arrogant request. Unfortunately, the corruption of the son was present in the father as well." The lights on the ceiling began to flicker as the Hime-gami's anger increased, "They murdered my husband! And as if this insult was not enough, they would have killed _my children_ if Wamiya had not whisked them away to safety! In my rage, I vowed vengeance upon all of humanity for their cruelty." Suddenly, the room settled as the Hime-gami finished the tale from her distant past:

"The Daimyo, terrified of the power I yielded due to my rage, ordered my capture and execution. A few years later, the prince found another maiden, and together, they had a son and a daughter." The Hime-gami's distant look that she'd had at the start of her tale returned as she spoke of the man who'd caused the tragedy; "However, that boy never completely forgot me or my beauty; thus, the man's wife, and by extension, his daughter, despised the memory of me. This hatred was passed from mother to daughter until this current generation." Miyuki stood, having been the first to connect the dots.

"Are you saying that all of these incidents are happening _on purpose?_! That someone is _targeting_ Izumiko?!" The Hime-gami nodded in agreement of Miyuki's conclusion.

"My time grows short; I must depart for now." Upon closing her eyes, the ethereal glow around Izumiko's body faded, leaving the girl behind.

Izumiko squeaked in surprise at where she was; _what happened? The last thing I remember was doing my homework in the infirmary while I was waiting for Mayura . . ._

"What's going on? Why am I here?" Miyuki stood quickly and placed his hand gently on Izumiko's shoulder to calm the girl down; upon seeing Miyuki and the way she was dressed, Izumiko put two and two together.

"I thought the Hime-gami couldn't possess me anymore?" Miyuki, ignoring her question for now, asked the princess about the Hime-gami's visit.

"Do you remember what the Hime-gami talked to us about?" A pensive look captured Izumiko's expression as she searched her memory for the connection between her and the Hime-gami.

"I do; she knows the source behind the way the students have been behaving. Unfortunately, because she was killed before the prince's marriage, she doesn't know who the descendants of the wife's daughter are." Miyuki groaned internally as this was so typical of dealing with the Hime-gami; she knew of the danger but not how to stop it.


	11. The New Strategy

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

The meeting was paused to allow Mayura to escort Izumiko to their room; after she'd changed out of the robes of the Hime-gami of course. However, before Izumiko left, she made it a point to thank Miyuki for putting so much effort into keeping her safe and to wish him and the others luck in figuring out the mystery.

Silence descended over the room like a heavy winter cloak as Miyuki sat like a statue, deep in thought over the Hime-gami's tale. He could understand why she'd felt it was necessary to let them know the source of the threat. It meant that any girl, except the ones in this room, were a threat to Izumiko.

"Well;" began Miyuki; "as usual, the Hime-gami just complicated everything." Closing his eyes, Miyuki continued by saying aloud this thoughts.

"We have to assume that every girl except the ones in this room is the source of the threat. The Souda siblings, as I know, are descended from mountain priests; no offense, but I doubt your ancestors were royalty."

"Considering the circumstances;" Manatsu said, "none taken." Honoka, seeing where the questioning was leading, gave her input.

"My family tree is out as well; my ancestors were shrine dancers." Miyuki, having expected as much with Honoka's abilities, nodded in gratitude of her honesty.

"What I'm still in shock about is that the Hime-gami is the matriarch of the Sagara family line." Miyuki responded to his father's shock with an 'are you serious?' look.

"Don't you think that would be obvious? As far back as our family history has been recorded, the Sagara line of mountain monks have always served as protectors of the Hime-gami's vessels. Did you honestly think she would have given that task to just anyone?" Miyuki pinned his father under his gaze as he continued; "Besides, who better to trust with the safety of your daughters than their cousins? Even if its' been centuries since the Sagara and Suzahara lines were actually related, the fact still stands that our families are connected by blood."

Miyuki stood to face the window as his thoughts swirled like a whirlpool. _The situation's danger level just spiked astronomically. The Hime-gami's existed for 1000 years; that means that this grudge from the wife of the prince has been fermenting almost as long. Unfortunately, as is evidenced by the Hime-gami herself, these type of grudges only become worse over time._

"Shinko;" Manatsu said, drawing Miyuki away from his thoughts; "doesn't Izumiko have a familiar? What did she call him again . . ?" At the mention of Wamiya, an idea struck Miyuki at a way to find the source of the threat.

"Wamiya! Come to me now!" Everyone jumped out of their seats as a black crow materialized on Miyuki's shoulder.

"You have command over her familiar?!" Yukimasa couldn't believe this!

"For your information, Sagara does not 'command' me. Only Izumiko has that power. I have chosen to heed Sagara's call because he was the first person, besides me, whom she honored with a dance. Also, like me, he seeks to aid Izumiko for the sake of her happiness, not her power." Wamiya, having corrected Yukimasa's error, turned to face Miyuki to ask the purpose of summoning him.

"Now that that was clarified; why do you need my help?"

"Can you give us a hint about who the descendant of the prince's daughter is?" Wamiya regretfully shook his head before explaining the reason.

"When the Hime-gami was executed, my spirit went into a deep sleep. It is the way with us mountain spirits that choose to become the familiar of a divine being. We can only awaken when our master re-binds us to them."

"Like Izumiko did unknowingly while dancing at the top of your mountain." Wamiya nodded before explaining further.

"The original Hime-gami's power worked in much the same way; it was her dancing as a young adolescent that had bonded me to her in the first place." Murakami interrupted to add his own experiences.

"When the Hime-gami had mentioned our meeting in the distant past, I remembered that it was her dancing that had drawn me to her. As the vessel for the God of the Arts, I have always had an eye for talent; the Hime-gami's ability to dance and sing has no equal." Miyuki couldn't help nodding in agreement; he'd seen firsthand how beautiful Izumiko's dancing and voice are.

"Thanks for trying anyway Wamiya. Since we still don't know the source of the threat, could you help us out by being our eyes and ears?" Wamiya contemplated Miyuki's request before asking for further direction.

"Do you mean keep an eye out for sources of danger?" Miyuki nodded before adding further instruction.

"That; but also, act as our spy. You have an advantage that none of us do; you're inconspicuous. At first glance, people would mistake you for a common crow. We need to use that to our benefit." Wamiya considered what Miyuki was saying before interpreting his request.

"What you're really asking is that I listen around and see if I can find out who is the source of the threat." Miyuki nodded as Wamiya chuckled a bit; "You didn't even need to ask. I am more than willing to investigate this mystery . . . for Izumiko's sake, mind you." Miyuki smiled in gratitude as Wamiya disappeared to start on his task.

"The same goes for all of us." Miyuki added. The young monk turned to face Murakami before he pleaded for his case; "Considering the circumstances, could I please change my class schedule so I'm in Izumiko's homeroom and all her classes?" Hodaka nodded in agreement, adding his opinion on the matter.

"While it would be unorthodox, the nature of the situation calls for such drastic measures." After nodding in appreciation, Miyuki turned to face the students still present in the room; "Our job as students is obvious; we need to keep our eyes and ears open to see if we can unmask this girl, if she is a student. At this point, we cannot rule any person out." The teen boy turned to face his father to give a special job.

"Dad; while your good looks can make you cocky sometimes . . . in this case, it makes you the best man for the job." Yukimasa nodded at his son before finishing his son's train of thought.

"You want me to screen the older women in the school to find any suspects." A smile flitted across Miyuki's face; who knew it would take a crisis like this for father and son to finally have an actual relationship?

"Principal Murakami; could you assist my father in the screening of the women on campus? I imagine that as the principal, you have access to the resumes submitted to Hojo Academy for any employee that works on campus?" The principal nodded before adding another helpful fact.

"Even better; due to the nature of our curriculum, we require all potential employees to go through a criminal and ancestral background check." Before Miyuki could ask why the school checked the family trees of their employees, Murakami explained the logic behind the excess security measures.

"It's so we can avoid families with a history of killing divine spirits." Miyuki couldn't help the thought that flitted through his mind at the principal's explanation; _too bad it doesn't screen for ancient family grudges._


	12. I'm WHAT!

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

The night sky over Hojo Academy seemed to hover over the campus like an ominous premonition as everyone slept; everyone except one woman.

The mysterious woman was in her faculty office, the curtains drawn to avoid . . . unwanted attention. _At long last . . . after all these years, pretending we actually cared about divine beings. We've found her; we've found the source of my ancestress' suffering. We will finally be avenged._ In front of the woman was an ancient ink painting of a young shrine maiden that bore a remarkable resemblance to Izumiko, barely visible in the weak light of the candle's flame. _At last, our insult shall be punished._

The weeks passed until December finally came upon the students at Hojo Academy. Miyuki had been escorting Izumiko to the girl's dormitories when they were caught in the first snow shower of the season. Miyuki, who'd never seen how Izumiko acted in a snow shower, was captivated by the look of sheer joy on her face as she spread her arms out and spun around, as if to capture all the snowflakes falling around her. _She's so beautiful . . . wait;_ _ **what?!**_ Miyuki's face burned as he realized what direction his mind had gone toward concerning the girl spinning in front of him.

Izumiko stopped her spinning when she spotted Miyuki staring at her. Embarrassment caused her cheeks to flush; _I've never shown anyone how I act during a snow shower before . . . I hope he doesn't tease me!_

"Sorry Miyuki. I just got really excited about the snow shower." Miyuki shook his head to clear his thoughts before saying to the flustered girl what he thought of her apology.

"Why should you be sorry? If it makes you happy, you shouldn't apologize for expressing it." A grateful smile graced her face as Miyuki was unknowingly caught up in her beauty once again; "You know Izumiko, you should smile more often."

"You think?" Izumiko's smile widened at Miyuki's praise.

"Yeah;" Miyuki's face flushed while he continued to explain himself; "It really brightens your face and makes your eyes sparkle." _What the hell is_ _ **wrong**_ _with me?!_ A pleasant blush graced Izumiko's face as they finished walking the rest of the way to the dormitories.

The next day, being Saturday, meant that classes weren't in session. Mayura, having complained to Miyuki recently how she missed having girl time with Izumiko, was spending the day with said girl and Honoka. While Manatsu was helping out with the horses at the Hojo Rider's Club, Miyuki was sprinting through the cold to Yukimasa's office in the infirmary, desperate for answers.

"Dad!" Yukimasa smirked; he'd figured this was going to happen soon; "I've got a problem." After schooling his features, Yukimasa turned to face his flustered son.

"What is it?" Miyuki started to pace as he began to explain his problem.

"I was walking Izumiko to her dorm room last night when we were caught in a snow shower." Yukimasa nodded as his son continued to pace the floor of the infirmary; "She started spinning around, her arms spread out as if to catch the snowflakes falling around us." Miyuki flushed, much to Yukimasa's amusement, "She looked so . . . happy. Without realizing it, I thought that she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen." The flustered monk turned to face his father, obviously seeking answers.

"Tell me something son; do you remember that talk we had over the summer? The one about the truth you needed to figure out for yourself?" Miyuki nodded; how could he have forgotten? He'd been racking his brain, trying to figure out what elusive truth his father was talking about. Suddenly, Miyuki gasped loudly, paling as the truth finally hit him. Miyuki whispered so softly that his father almost didn't hear his shocked revelation.

"I'm in love with her."

"Bingo kid; and judging by your willingness to risk your life to rescue her during the school festival, you have been for a while." Miyuki sat on a bed in the infirmary as the reality of the situation finally sunk in; _I'm in love with her . . . **I'm in love with Izumiko**!_

"Am I even _allowed_ to be in love with her? I mean, she may have accepted my help with the Hime-gami and made me her arbiter, but that doesn't mean she feels the same way. Does it?" Yukimasa smirked before saying in his usual, smug voice.

"Don't you think you're asking the wrong person?"


	13. Just be Honest

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

While Miyuki reached his epiphany in the infirmary, much to Yukimasa's amusement, Izumiko and Mayura were catching up on some much needed girl time with Honoka. Incidentally, due to Honoka's role as part of the group looking out for Izumiko, she'd gotten much closer to the two younger girls; they'd gotten so close that both Mayura and Izumiko had taken to calling her senpai.

"Honoka-senpai?" Izumiko's gentle voice caught the upperclassman's attention as she asked her something that had been bothering her; "Do you think I have a nice smile?" Surprise flitted across Honoka's face at such a strange question from one of her kouhais.

"Well . . . I'm not exactly the person to ask something like that. Why do you want to know?" Honoka and Mayura had their suspicions . . .

"Well . . . when Miyuki was walking me to the girls' dormitories, it started to snow." Honoka and Mayura nodded, indicating that they were listening as Izumiko continued; "I got really excited about the snowfall; I always did as a little girl too. But Miyuki has never seen how I act during a snow shower . . . at first, I thought he was going to tease me so I tried to apologize but he said that there was no need." Honoka and Mayura noted how Izumiko's face flushed and a pleased smile unconsciously appeared on her face; "He even complimented me; he said that I should smile more often because it brightens my face and makes my eyes sparkle." Suddenly, Mayura and Honoka squealed, startling poor Izumiko with their sudden shriek.

"Sorry Izumiko;" said Mayura, "its' just that we're so happy for you!" Izumiko's face flushed, confused by what her roommate meant when Honoka put in her two cents.

"I know I said that you and Sagara were a couple when we first met but I didn't realize how right I was!" Izumiko raised her hands, flustered as what the girls meant was finally sinking in.

"That's not it at all!" Izumiko settled down as she explained; "I was just confused about why Miyuki said all that, that's all!" Mayura's voice turned suspicious as she teased her roommate mercilessly.

"Are you sure that's what you're _really_ asking? Or are you _really_ asking why you felt the way you did when he said it?"

"Mayura! Its' not like that!" Honoka shook her head in amusement.

"If you're denying it _this_ much then you have got it _bad_ for Sagara." Izumiko covered her face, which resembled a Valentine's Day card it was so red.

"Look;" Honoka said; "If you want the answer to your _real_ question, than answer the following questions honestly. Ok?" Izumiko nodded in agreement to Honoka's 'test.'

"Alright;" began their senpai, "when do you feel the happiest?"

"I . . . I feel happy when Miyuki supports me or trusts me." Honoka struggled to keep her smirk in check at the smile that Izumiko had unknowingly allowed to cover her face. _Yep_ ; _she is_ _ **so**_ _gone; and that's with just one question! She has no idea how much she_ _ **really**_ _loves him . . ._

"Ok; second question. When you feel threatened, who's the first person you wish were there?"

"Miyuki." Even Mayura was startled at how quickly Izumiko answered the second question; _she has it_ _ **bad**_ _for him_.

"Alright; last question." Honoka paused dramatically before asking; "Describe how you feel about Sagara." Izumiko paused to gather her thoughts.

"He makes me feel safe. Miyuki . . . understands me in a way no one ever has. He doesn't expect anything from me that I wouldn't already be willing to do. He doesn't pressure me to do what he wants and gets mad when other people try to." Mayura and Honoka watched with a bit of envy as Izumiko's countenance transformed into something . . . angelic in its' beauty and radiance; its' source being her feelings for Miyuki.

"Miyuki taught me how to protect myself with spiritual defense techniques." Their envy was quickly replaced with shock; Miyuki had done _what?!_ "It was thanks to Miyuki coming for me that I chose to come back. I . . . I need him." Mayura, coming out of her daze first, spoke for Honoka, who was still in a daze at how _powerful_ Izumiko's feelings were for Miyuki.

"Congratulations Izumiko. I can't wait to be your maid of honor." Izumiko became instantly flustered at Mayura's bold declaration.

"What!?" Honoka grinned too before teasing her flustered kouhai along with her second kouhai.

"I have to agree with my kouhai on this one. You'll make such a cute bride!"

"But I don't even know if Miyuki feels the same way?!" Honoka and Mayura, undeterred, declared at the same time to the now red-faced Izumiko.

"Then don't you think we're the wrong person to be asking?"


	14. Vacation & Nonomura's Past

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

The next few days before Christmas break for Izumiko and Miyuki could be summarized in one word . . . _tense_. While their friends could tell _something_ was off, they were unable to get either teen to talk about it. The tension was like a steel wall; impenetrable and unbreakable. Sadly, it was in this way that both Izumiko and Miyuki left for their winter vacation at Tamakura shrine.

"Miyuki! Izumiko!" Sawa's voice rang out in the air, a joyous welcome to their returning guest and tenant.

"Hello Sawa." Izumiko greeted Sawa pleasantly as Miyuki sprinted to his room in the lodgings separate from the shrine proper; "How have you been doing while Miyuki and I were at Hojo?" Sawa brightened at Izumiko's use of Miyuki's first name but wisely stayed quiet on the matter.

"Oh, you know . . . same old-same old. But enough about how things have been at Tawakura . . . how was the beginning of your second year?" Sawa's happiness faded as she noted a look of . . . pain cross Izumiko's face.

"It wasn't . . . pleasant. At least not at first." Izumiko smiled in recollection of Miyuki's many kindnesses to her; "But . . . Miyuki helped make it better. At least . . . a little bit." Sawa's expression practically glowed at these turn of events; _Yukariko is most definitely going to like_ _ **this**_ _recent development._

"Well Izumiko;" answered Sawa to the girl glowing from her own internal happiness; "its' like I said before Miyuki transferred to your old middle school; he's becoming a fine young man." Izumiko couldn't help agreeing with Sawa's assessment of the younger Sagara monk.

While Izumiko continued chatting with Sawa in the temple residence, Nonomura happened upon Miyuki notching an arrow to shoot at one of the hay targets set up in the Tawakura archery range. The older mountain monk noticed how Miyuki's normally impeccable aim was skewed; _what's bothering him so much? Yukimasa wasn't kidding when he said Miyuki's mood is reflected in his archery . . ._

"Do you plan on actually hitting the target? Or do you just want to fill the paper with holes?" Miyuki turned to face Nonomura with a neutral gaze, as if his question wasn't worth his time. _Now I'm_ _ **really**_ _worried. Just like Yukimasa, the more neutral his expression, the deeper the conflict._

"Nonomura;" Miyuki said as he sat down on the edge of the archer's shooting porch; "have you ever wanted something that was . . . forbidden?" Nonomura, shocked at the direction of this conversation, asked Miyuki a question of his own.

"Does your question have to do with Suzahara?" Nonomura jumped in shock as Miyuki _groaned_ and covered his face, as if ashamed of himself.

"It has _everything_ to do with Izumiko!" Miyuki whipped his head violently toward Nonomura, who was startled at the normally stoic boy's violent emotional maelstrom; " _I can't get her out of my head!?_ Every time we're together I . . . I feel like . . . UGH!" Nonomura jumped at the frustration clearly visible in Miyuki's voice as he aired out his feelings.

"I get jealous of any attention from guys around her . . . even Manatsu, who I _know_ isn't interested in her! I've been losing _sleep_ because I can't stop thinking about her!" Nonomura, realizing what Miyuki was trying to say, forced himself to stay quiet as Miyuki yelled out in response to his own sheer desperation.

" _Why did I have to fall in love with her!?"_ Nonomura, as a firmly established bachelor, knew he was way of his depth but that didn't mean Miyuki wasn't in need of some guidance.

"I know I'm the least qualified person to offer advise right now; especially on women." Miyuki, as if suddenly remembering Nonomura's presence, turned to face the elder monk; "But don't you think Suzahara deserves to know what you just told me? Don't you think you're presuming much by assuming how _she_ feels on the matter? Or;" Nonomura paused to allow the conflicted teen to meet his gaze; "are you simply a coward?" Before Miyuki could protest, Nonomura continued his lecture as if he hadn't noticed his attempt to interrupt.

"You know, I had a love when I was younger. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever met; a fellow mountain monk, if you will. Though of course, her title was that of a shrine priestess. I felt just as conflicted as you do about Suzahara." Miyuki gazed at Nonomura, transfixed at his unknown love story.

"I was such a coward. Instead of letting her know how I felt, I allowed her to marry another man." Regret settled on Nonomura's face at his bittersweet memories of Ai; "Trust me when I say that not a day goes by that I don't wish I'd had the courage to let the woman I love know how I felt." Nonomura, locking Miyuki under his piercing gaze, gave the young monk a warning.

"Don't make the same mistake I did Miyuki. Like my Ai, Suzahara isn't going to wait forever."


	15. The Poem Tradition

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

While Tamakura Shrine didn't have an official winter holiday, the residents still celebrated in their own unique way. Instead of exchanging physical gifts, each member of the family was to write an anonymous poem about the person of their choice. The only rules were that they had to be someone in the shrine at the time and that the author was to remain anonymous so as to discourage falsehood. The person that the poem was written about would read it so the author could remain hidden.

Daisei, being Izumiko's father, took it upon himself to hand out the poems. As usual, each person had one poem each; all selected randomly by pulling the name out of a bucket.

"Izumiko;" Daisei said; "would you like to read your poem first?" Only Yukimasa noticed his son become slightly tense before Izumiko started to read her poem aloud.

 _Izumiko Suzahara_

 _At first glance, not much is seen_

 _But appearances are always deceiving._

 _Her dance has the grace of a swan in flight,_

 _her music heavenly in its' beauty._

 _Her kindness knows no bounds_

 _despite the cruelty of those around her._

 _At first glance, it is impossible to see_

 _her true nature._

 _The Princess hidden among the peasants._

Silence took hold of everyone in the room at Izumiko's poem. It was not that all of it wasn't true . . . it was just the tone the poem had been written. There was no doubt; it was a love poem.

"Father?" Daisei shook his head to clear his mind of the implications of this poem, "Could you continue the ceremony . . . please?" Izumiko's father quickly agreed and chose the next person to read their poem aloud.

After the sharing of the poems and a quiet dinner full of at least one favorite of every tenant and visitor, everyone turned in for the night . . . except for two.

Izumiko just couldn't forget that poem she'd read about herself. _Could Miyuki have written it?_ As the thoughts swirled around in her mind, they kept her from truly going to sleep. Izumiko gave in to her insomnia as she got out of her bed, intent on making herself a mug of some soothing herbal tea.

Upon entering the kitchen, Izumiko was startled to see that someone else was already sitting there with their own cup of tea steaming in their grip. The mystery person turned quickly, revealing by the pale moonlight coming through the window that it was Miyuki. Izumiko unconsciously relaxed at seeing who had beaten her to the kitchen.

"Miyuki! You couldn't sleep either?" Miyuki blinked before shrugging, seemingly indifferent.

"To be honest . . . I haven't been able to sleep for a while. I thought maybe some herbal tea might help me relax enough to get some sleep." Worry replaced Izumiko's curiosity as she started heating up her own water for some tea.

"Is it anything I can help with Miyuki?" The aforementioned boy turned to face Izumiko, his gaze piercing, searching for something . . . then, as if giving up, Miyuki turned away, disappointment clear on his face.

"No Izumiko. I don't think this is something you can help me with." Izumiko jumped as her pot of hot water suddenly sang, signaling her tea was ready.

"Well . . . if I can't help you, than can you help me with something?" Izumiko, noting Miyuki tense up in apprehension, strengthened her resolve to get to the bottom of the mystery of her poem.

"The poem that I got this year . . . I couldn't help but notice it was written like a . . . love poem." Izumiko made sure to take note of Miyuki's reactions to her thoughts. They only added to her suspicions as she noted how Miyuki stiffened at her utterance of the words 'love poem.'

"Yeah, so what? You know the authors are supposed to remain anonymous." Izumiko's patience finally ran out at Miyuki's obvious avoidance of the issue.

"Miyuki!" The young monk jumped at Izumiko's normally unheard shouting voice; "Will you stop avoiding the question!? Did you or did you not write that love poem?!" Miyuki, whose tea had been finished up during their conversation, stood up, washed out his mug and left Izumiko alone in the kitchen; alone with her now tear filled eyes.


	16. This Changes Everything

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

The rest of winter vacation went by quickly, much to Izumiko and Miyuki's relief. Unlike their summer break, both teenagers couldn't wait to return to Hojo Academy. Being at the Tamakura shrine left far too much time for both of them to get lost in their internal musings.

Unfortunately, returning from vacation had the ill effect of causing the boys on campus to forget the Kawaguchi incident. However, with Miyuki now shadowing Izumiko, boys were not as willing to be so bold. Between his thinly veiled promises of physical harm and/or public humiliation for flirting with another girl when they were known to be in a relationship, Izumiko was able to study in relative peace. It was in this manner that January and February went, giving way to March and the beginning of the spring thaw. As Izumiko, Honoka and Mayura were once again enjoying some girl time, Manatsu and Miyuki were approached by someone completely unexpected.

"What do you want Takayanagi?" Miyuki's voice called out to the approaching fellow second year, venom clear in his voice for the onmyoji priest.

"Wow Sagara; any would think that you don't like me?" Manatsu huffed at Takayanagi's usual arrogant attitude.

"Maybe it has something to do with you cursing Suzahara? I'm Shinko's roommate and friends with Suzahara since she's my sister's roommate . . . and I can safely say that the best way to piss off Shinko is to manipulate Suzahara." Takayanagi scoffed before commenting in a mockingly arrogant tone his opinion on the matter.

"Please; _everyone_ on campus knows that trying to hurt or _actually_ hurting Suzahara is asking for Sagara's wrath. How about asking an _real_ question; like why I would bother to seek you two out?" Manatsu, seeing Miyuki's stony, silent glare, took the initiative.

"Alright; I'll bite. Why did you want to talk to us?" Takayanagi, taking this as permission to sit, pulled himself a chair to join the boys' lunchroom table.

"It's about something strange going on at Hojo. At first, I thought I was imagining the strange sensations I kept getting whenever I was around other boys around campus. But that all changed when I noticed a disturbing pattern accompanying the strange sensations."

"And this is important to us how?" Miyuki spoke up, his venom tempered with a bit of impatience at Takayanagi's habit of taking forever to get to the point.

"Because if I'm right, someone has been using some kind of experimental curse to force the boys on campus to harass Suzahara." Miyuki stood abruptly, phone in hand as he started to run to the cafeteria's exit.

"Shinko!" Manatsu called out to his roommate; "Where are you going?" Miyuki turned to face his friend before exiting.

"I'm going to talk to Dad and call a meeting! Be sure to bring Takayanagi!" Both boys stood in stunned silence as Miyuki all but transported from the cafeteria in the direction of the infirmary.

Yukimasa was in the middle of filing some papers on recent patients in the infirmary when Miyuki ran into the room. The elder Sagara jumped at his son's frantic entrance but calmed down when he saw who his enthusiastic visitor was.

"If you missed me that much Miyuki, there's a wonderful invention called a cell phone. It's supposed to be faster than running you know." Miyuki ignored his father's barb as he sat down on a bed in the infirmary, waiting to catch his breath.

"You won't be laughing when you hear what Takayanagi just told me." Yukimasa's face immediately became like a stone, not unlike Miyuki's when he heard or wanted to say something serious.

"What did the onmyoji priest tell you?" As Miyuki explained what Takayanagi had noticed and the pattern he'd just realized, as well as what he suspected this meant, Yukimasa's gaze became harder and graver. _This development just complicated_ _ **everything**_ _._


	17. Its' a Trap!

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

Miyuki looked at the faces of the people present in the room. Mayura and Manatsu's normally playful, carefree expressions were like a hardened rock. Honoka's normally impassive face carried a hint of anger from Takayanagi's explanation of the curse he'd detected on the boys at Hojo Academy. Hodaka's normally impassive face seemed ignited with fury at such an atrocious abuse of the student body. Yukimasa's and Miyuki's faces were the only ones that appeared neutral and impassive; which meant they were _really_ angry.

Suddenly, before Miyuki could start addressing how this affected their strategy, Wamiya appeared in the room in his usual flurry of black feathers. Before alarm could keep Wamiya from talking, Miyuki turned his full attention to the mountain spirit.

"Why are you here Wamiya? Is there something wrong with Izumiko?" The mountain spirit cocked his head before answering Miyuki's question.

"Would I be here if Izumiko wasn't involved?" Wamiya quieted, looking as pensive as a crow could; "I'm here because something that shouldn't happen has just happened."

"What do you mean?" asked Miyuki.

"No matter how distant I am from Izumiko, I've always been able to sense her emotions and intent. Its' part of my role as her familiar. Its' an innate mechanism that allows me to serve her in a much better fashion than a human could." Suddenly, surprising everyone, Yukimasa interrupted the mountain spirit.

"Are you saying that you're unable to sense Izumiko . . . _at all?_ " Wamiya nodded in agreement to Yukimasa's question.

"Wamiya;" interrupted Miyuki; "where and when was the last place and time you could sense her?"

"I could last sense her ten minutes ago, right before she went into that new librarian's office." An ominous silence fell upon the group as the mystery began to unravel quickly before of their eyes.

"Hodaka?" said Miyuki as he turned to face the man in question; "What is the new librarian's name?"

"Kimiko Oshiro." answered the principal, now pale with suppressed worry and rage. Miyuki, without saying a word, ran to his father's closet, pulled out a mountain monk staff, and ran from the meeting room, unknowingly being followed by everyone else in the room.

While Izumiko's protectors and friends were racing to Oshiro's office, Izumiko was sitting in the librarian's office, casually doing her homework. _It was certainly nice of Oshiro to offer her office space while I waited for either Miyuki or Mayura to come for me._

"Do you need any help with your assignments dear?" Izumiko shook her head at Oshiro's question.

"No; its' my assignment for literature class, so I'm all set." Izumiko glanced up with a pleasant smile on her face; "Literature has always been my best class." Oshiro nodded agreeably, as if having been expecting that.

"Yes; as a young girl, I was always gifted in literature as well. Its' probably why I became a librarian. That; plus its' a job most schools don't think would interest a family with a grudge against a divine being." Izumiko paused, fear striking her heart at what Oshiro had just said.

"E – e – excuse me? What are you talking about?" Oshiro smirked as she turned her back to the now trembling princess to open her storage closet. The now dubious librarian reached her hands into the closet and pulled out a bow along with some arrows.

"I must admit;" began Oshiro; "at first, I thought you'd be a tough nut to crack. I was almost surprised that it took me so little time to figure it out." Izumiko was now shaking like a leaf in autumn.

"Figure out what?" Instead of answering, Oshiro closed her eyes and began to chant, as if summoning someone, or something, that would answer Izumiko's question.

Meanwhile – With Miyuki and the others . . .

Miyuki had almost reached the library when he froze in place. Yukimasa, anxious about Izumiko, screamed at his paralyzed son in both confusion and anger.

"What are you doing?! You've got to protect Izumiko?!" Wamiya, noticing something was off with Miyuki, warned everyone around him.

"Don't touch him! Someone's paralyzed him with a curse and is transporting him to their location!" Just as Wamiya finished his warning, Miyuki vanished.

Back with Izumiko and Oshiro . . .

Oshiro opened her eyes, a self-satisfied grin on her face as she notched an arrow and pulled back.

"And now, my ancestress' insult shall be repaid."


	18. Finally Free

A/N - Before I finish up this story, I want to make something clear. I don't think librarians are evil _at all_. One of my favorite places to go to this day is my local public library. Its' just that a librarian fit with the story's plot, that's all.

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

Time seemed to slow as Oshiro released the arrow. Izumiko stared in terror at the arrow seemingly aimed for her heart. Thus, it comes as a great shock to her when the arrow missed her entirely . . . only to hit a third party whose cry of anguish was painfully familiar. Izumiko stared in shock at the arrow coming out of Miyuki's shoulder. _I thought for sure Oshiro was aiming for me . . ._

"You behave like such a typical divine being Suzahara;" Izumiko looked up in terror at the now unveiled Kimiko Oshiro; "you saw my threat and assumed it was directed at you." The woman smirked as she stalked toward the trapped princess.

"Then again;" Oshiro said, as if speaking of the weather, "that was my tactic all along. You see, my ancestors made a crucial mistake when dealing with you all those centuries ago." The woman's face twisted into a scowl while continuing her monologue.

"They attacked without any knowledge or strategy." Realization came over Izumiko's face as she understood what Oshiro was alluding to.

"All of that harassment at the beginning of the school year . . . you were scoping me out!" Anger settled on Izumiko's face as the truth came to light; "You were trying to figure out my weakness!" Oshiro began to mockingly clap, as if saying 'took you long enough.'

"That's right little girl." Oshiro closed her eyes in recollection; thus, she failed to notice Wamiya finally pierce the barrier, "Its' amazing what lust curses can do to the weak-minded." The wind started to pick up a bit as Izumiko's anger increased at how casually Oshiro talked about cursing teenage boys.

"If you wanted to find out _my_ weakness then why drag Miyuki into all this?!" Oshiro's eyes opened to give Izumiko an 'are you serious?' look.

"Your cluelessness is almost cute Suzahara." Izumiko's eyes widened in horror as Oshiro notched another arrow, pointing it straight at Miyuki's heart; "Have you ever heard the saying 'your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness?' It wasn't that hard to figure it out Suzahara; you draw strength from your love for this boy." An evil grin took root on Oshiro's face as she finished her monologue; "The fact that his family line descends from the Hime-gami as well is simply a bonus!"

As Oshiro shouted out the last word, the arrow flew into the air, its' target Miyuki's heart. However, before it could strike its' target, a strong gust of wind met the arrow and splintered it into tiny, match-like bits of wood. Oshiro began to tremble at the sudden ominous feeling taking over her barrier. _Its' not taking it over . . . its' tearing it apart!_

"Your family has crossed the line Oshiro!" Izumiko, caught up in her anger, did not notice Yukimasa, Hodaka, Honoka, Mayura, Manatsu and Takayanagi running toward Miyuki and Wamiya nor how her braids had unraveled; "Your arrogance cost me _everything_!" Takayanagi paled in recognition of this kind of windstorm.

"Sagara!" Miyuki turned to look at Takayanagi's terror filled face; "You've got to stop her! This is what happened before the incident at the school festival!" Miyuki's eyes widened in terror as what Takayanagi meant registered in his mind.

"Crap! Dad, get this arrow out of my shoulder; quick!" Yukimasa nodded before positioning his hands on the arrow's shaft and nodding to Hodaka in a taciturn request to hold Miyuki still. After an internal count to three, Yukimasa yanked the arrow in one quick pull, internally cringing at his son's shout of pain.

"Wamiya!" The mountain spirit perked up at Miyuki's call; "Get me to Izumiko now!" Wamiya, recognizing the urgency of the situation, fought the maelstrom, desperately trying to reach Sagara.

" _My_ arrogance?! You, a simple shrine priestess, refused my ancestor's hand in marriage?!" Wamiya screeched as Izumiko's fury increased at Oshiro's incessant comment.

"How was it arrogant on _my part_ to refuse to marry your ancestor when _I was already married_?!" Oshiro paused in her tirade, stunned at this revelation.

"But . . . but I was told that you had no husband! That you were free to marry!" As the wind picked up in response to Izumiko's anger, Wamiya yelled to Sagara as loud as he could:

"I can't get through this maelstrom! You're going to have to get to Izumiko on your own!" Miyuki, having expected that, grabbed the staff he'd dropped when he was shot and used its' metal tip as a grip, fighting to reach the woman he loved.

"I was only free to marry after your ancestor's father _killed my husband_!" Oshiro screamed in terror as Izumiko's wind increased further; "It doesn't surprise me that his pride allowed him to say _such **LIES**!_ " Oshiro trembled in horror as Izumiko's rage started to lift her into the air.

"Please! Mercy! I beg of you! Show mercy!" Izumiko's face twisted in rage as she screamed:

"Where was the mercy I begged for when my husband was _executed_?! Uh?!" Oshiro trembled, tears streaming down her face in sheer terror at what she'd unknowingly released; "Where was your _compassion_ when you left my children _orphaned_?!" Oshiro convulsed in fear; the fear of death.

However, before Izumiko could continue, a pair of strong, but gentle, arms wrapped around her. As if by instinct, the winds calmed down, fading gradually till they disappeared altogether.

"Miyuki?! What . . . what are you doing?!" Everyone except Oshiro relaxed at Izumiko's shift in behavior.

"Man; I never thought I'd be this glad to hear someone stutter." Izumiko, noticing her suddenly moist shoulder, turned around quickly to face Miyuki; only to look on in horror at Miyuki's blood stained shoulder.

"Miyuki?! You're hurt! You shouldn't be here; you should be resting!" Miyuki, much to Izumiko's surprise, only tightened his hug around her.

"You're wrong; I'm right where I need to be." Izumiko became flustered at Miyuki's almost . . . possessive hold on her.

"I . . . I was scared . . . and a coward." Izumiko softened as Miyuki continued; "I kept telling myself that it was wrong for me to love you. That it would make me like everyone else around you . . . the ones only interested in manipulating you for their personal gain." Tears gathered in the corners of Miyuki's eyes as he struggled to keep from crying; "I can't believe I was so stupid! By giving in to my cowardice, I was keeping you from what you wanted!" Before Miyuki could continue, Izumiko placed a gentle hand on his cheek.

"Please don't blame yourself alone Miyuki." Izumiko cut Miyuki off before he could protest; "I wasn't honest about my feelings either. I was as much of a coward as you;" The princess hardened her resolve as she proclaimed; "But I refuse to continue as one. Miyuki . . . I . . . I love you!" Miyuki smiled softly as he unconsciously raised his hand to cup Izumiko's flushed face.

"I love you too." Unaware of their captivated audience, Miyuki and Izumiko drew closer till their lips met in a soft, passionate kiss.

BOOM! As if a supernova had gone off in Oshiro's office, a light exploded from Miyuki and Izumiko and spread out, engulfing everyone in a bright, supernatural light. As the light dimmed, four people in shrine garments appeared. Surprise took hold of their faces as Wamiya came forward and bowed before the family.

"My Lady; My Lord. Have you and your children finally been freed?" The now identified Hime-gami along with her husband and children nodded in happiness. Izumiko and Miyuki, as the ones with the greatest connection to the Hime-gami, stood in confusion at the shift.

"She's . . . different." Miyuki nodded in agreement with Izumiko's observation.

"What do you two mean?" Yukimasa asked. Miyuki answered, as if hardly believing the shift.

"When I dealt with the Hime-gami before, she was . . . distant and incredibly guarded; like she had a hard exoskeleton or something. Also, her very presence radiated foreboding, a bit like an ominous premonition. But now . . ." Izumiko took over, as if she were completing Miyuki's train of thought.

"Now she is radiating warmth, contentment and peace. Its' like she's finally had some closure." The Hime-gami smiled at her descendants' astute observations.

"You would do well to listen to them Yukimasa. Now that Izumiko has found true happiness, I have been freed from my curse."

"Wait a minute;" interrupted Takayanagi; "what do you mean 'your curse'?"

"Vengeance, child, is a curse in and of itself. Nothing good ever comes from it. If you do not believe what I say, just look at Oshiro as an example." The group's eyes turned to Oshiro, who'd fainted without anyone noticing; "She could have been and done great things with her ability to create new and inventive spells. Instead, she will waste away in jail for her crimes while my vessel shall live on in freedom and happiness." The Hime-gami turned to face the group as she continued; "Before I leave, I would like to clarify some things; now that my need for vengeance has been dissolved, I can no longer possess Izumiko. However, that does not mean her powers are gone. Izumiko is still my last vessel after all. This means that she is by default the new Hime-gami." The former Hime-gami turned to face Miyuki as she started to fade away along with her husband and children.

"Thank you Miyuki; your love for Izumiko has set us free."


	19. The End?

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

As Miyuki and Izumiko cuddled on one of the park bench on campus, Mayura, Manatsu, Takayanagi, Honoka and Wamiya watched from a respectful distance so they couldn't eavesdrop. Despite their consideration, nothing could have hidden the glow of contentment radiating from the couple.

"They're so sweet." Mayura sighed, obviously swept away in the romanticism of the moment.

"Yeah;" agreed Honoka; "it's no wonder everyone on campus called them 'the most likely to become a couple' at Hojo."

"Please;" Takayanagi inputted; "None of you except Wamiya saw what the guy said to Suzahara in the alternate plane at last year's school festival. The guy was practically _begging_ her to say she needed him." Wamiya nodded before adding his impressions.

"And what none of you know is that Izumiko didn't want to come to Hojo at first." Startled looks captured his audiences' faces as he explained; "She wanted to go to a local high school near her home at first . . . but she changed her mind because of _him_. He . . . changed her; she wanted to come to Hojo if it meant being with him."

"You know;" Manatsu said, finally speaking up; "You're all just saying the same thing."

"We are?" Mayura asked one of her brothers.

"Yeah; you're all saying that they've finally come to terms with what was obvious to everyone but them." Honoka shrugged as she added one final comment.

"In my limited experience, that's usually what happens when someone's in love."

Meanwhile – with Miyuki and Izumiko

"Miyuki?" The aforementioned boy hummed, indicating he was listening; "Are . . . are we dating now?"

"That depends." Izumiko felt disappointment stab her heart at Miyuki's response.

"Depends on what?" Miyuki grinned softly before gently shifting Izumiko to face him.

"Depends on if you agree to be my girlfriend." Joy, pure and radiant, cast its' spell on Izumiko's gaze as she responded to Miyuki's question.

"Yes! Yes!" Izumiko, without thinking, wrapped her arms around Miyuki's neck and placed a kiss on his lips. Miyuki, being a teenage boy after all, instantly responded; wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her flush against him in a slightly possessive way.

As the couple separated Izumiko blushed, embarrassed at her boldness. Miyuki, seeing her embarrassment, softly chuckled at how _cute_ she was.

"Don't tease me." Miyuki stopped before explaining his reasoning.

"I wasn't teasing you Izumiko." Miyuki smiled lovingly as he gazed upon his girl; _Wow; I_ _ **never**_ _thought I'd be_ _ **this**_ _happy about having Izumiko as my girlfriend_.

"I was just amazed at how cute you look when you're embarrassed. Though you have nothing to be embarrassed about." Izumiko looked up in awe at the man who'd captured her heart; _I never thought I'd ever get to this point with a boy; Miyuki . . . makes me feel like a normal person._

"Izumiko;" continued Miyuki; "I . . . I love you just the way you are." A blush now adorned Miyuki's face as he awkwardly expressed himself; "You have the habit of surprising me every day. I could spend the next century with you and still not fully understand you." Contentment spread across their faces as Miyuki ended his explanation; "And that's why you shouldn't _ever_ be embarrassed of who you are. Because I know that no one could ever be as perfect as you; at least . . . that's _my_ opinion on the matter." Miyuki, flustered at what he'd just said, calmed down when Izumiko cuddled into his chest and sighed, obviously content to stay with Miyuki the rest of the afternoon.

Meanwhile – With Yukimasa, Daisei and Yukariko

"Do you think we should let Izumiko and Miyuki know?" Daisei's innocent question brought chuckles from Yukimasa and his wife.

"As much fun as it would be to see the looks on their faces . . . I think it's best to wait till they're more comfortable with being a couple." Yukariko smirked in agreement with Yukimasa's snide comment about the new 'official' couple.

"Yes;" agreed Yukariko; "if we tell them about their conditional betrothal now, they'll assume we tricked them into being a couple." Daisei sighed, knowing his wife, as always, had a good point.

"But . . . they'll have to know _someday_. Right?" Yukimasa nodded at Daisei's attempt to direct the conversation toward the issue at hand.

"They will dear;" agreed Yukariko; "But for now, let them be teenagers in love for a little longer. They don't need to grow up _that_ soon." Both fathers nodded in agreement with Yukariko. _Let them be children for a little longer . . ._


End file.
